An imaging system consisting of a lens and an array detector at the focus of the lens may have a field of view and an angular resolution defined by the focal length of the lens and the pixel pitch of the array detector. For example, a longer focal length may result in higher angular resolution (e.g., a larger number of pixels per unit angle in the scene) at the expense of a reduction in field of view. Conversely, a shorter focal length may result in an increase in the field of view at the expense of reduced angular resolution. Both a large field of view and high angular resolution may be beneficial in various military and commercial applications.
Thus, there is a need for an imaging system with both a large field of view and high angular resolution.